


aarteeni

by nikuttek



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, Inspired by Fanart, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:00:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25245040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nikuttek/pseuds/nikuttek
Summary: Will-o’-the-wisps are said to lead to a treasure, but Emil finds something a little different than he expected.
Relationships: Lalli Hotakainen/Emil Västerström
Comments: 12
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so apparently every time eliounora posts [emilalli fanart](https://eliounora.tumblr.com/post/622833115430273024/a-little-bit-of-yearning-in-the-gleam-of-a) i am obligated to write a small fic inspired by it. 
> 
> the title is _really_ creative, i know. i decided to split this into two chapters/parts because i think it just flows better. apologies for my english in advance, there will be mistakes.

The crisp and clear night air pinches Emil’s cheeks when he steps out of the tent, shivers running down his back despite him wearing both his jacket and cloak. Summer has slowly started to blend into autumn, and it has already been weeks since the moon and stars greeted them for the first time after months, gracefully taking back their place in the night sky. A couple of years ago Emil would have paid them no mind, but now he stops for a moment to admire their distant, lonely light. Back home, they had always had enough electricity for street lamps, so to him the summer and winter skies had all looked the same.

He doesn’t recognise many of the constellations, can’t tell where one ends and another begins, but there is one star he could probably point his finger to even if his eyes were closed.  _ Pohjantähti _ , Tuuri had taught him. He’d tried to impress Lalli once by showing him he could name the most important star in the sky, but the scout had only stared at Emil for a moment too long before turning away. The memory makes Emil wrinkle his nose. He’s aware of how horrendous his Finnish had been at the time, but surely Lalli must have understood what he’d been trying to say…

Emil can’t read the stars like Sigrun or Lalli can, and he knows he could never rely on them if he were lost in the woods and had to find his way back somehow. However, the bleak light reaching out over the treetops tells him it’s long past the time Sigrun had told him to wake up and take the night watch shift.

Abruptly, out of the corner of his eye he notices a gleam of light. He tears his gaze down from the stars, just in time to see as a tiny flame appears seemingly out of nowhere. Sleepiness vanishes from his body as shock flares through it, uncomfortably filling his veins and lungs. His eyelids no longer feel heavy as he stares at the dancing light with eyes wide open and lips parted in a silent curse. The flame flickers and wavers as if it were fighting against a strong wind, but the air around Emil is still. He doesn’t dare to even breathe for a few seconds.

The flame itself is almost see-through, but somehow it manages to paint everything around it with a pale pink hue. It’s undeniably beautiful, thinks Emil as he watches how the flame calms down and grows before his eyes.

He’s heard of these lights, of course he has. Even though most people in Sweden are, thankfully, rational enough to not believe in things such as gods and magic, there had been a few old ladies who had told stories of the lights that could lead you to a treasure. But it never does any good to be greedy, and so those who end up following the lights will lose their way and face their immediate doom. Emil had wanted to laugh at the women’s faces, but since he’s a gentleman he had merely scoffed and shaken his head at their silly, senile stories.

It’s been a while since Emil had to swallow down his pride and admit that magic truly might exist in this world and not just in the books he used to read to his cousins. He hadn’t found any way to deny the golden light that had embraced him and Lalli seconds before the world around them had broken into splinters. Lalli’s expression had been unreadable, but his feet had been firmly planted on the ice and his extended arms hadn’t trembled. Whatever he’d done, he had been the source of the light shielding them, had been the only thing standing between life and death.

The moment Emil lost control of his own mind and body yet again is smudged like wet ink on paper, but he remembers  _ falling, _ feeling completely weightless for a blink of an eye. He remembers the sharp twinge as his head had hit the floor, too. When his eyes had flown open and he’d seen Lalli hovering over him, surrounded by pure light, eyes stern and so beautiful, he had known deep down that the other man held powers greater than he could ever fathom.

If someone were to ask, Emil would very reluctantly admit he believes in magic, as it’s something he’s still not very proud of, something he’s not used to admitting even to himself. It hadn’t been exciting news to learn that almost everything he had thought he’d known about the world was thoroughly wrong. In any case, Emil knows he wouldn’t hesitate if he needed to defend Lalli’s honour. It’s not like he has held back in the past, either, and no one else has any right to question Lalli’s skills. They weren’t there during the long, uncertain days, they haven’t seen what Emil has.

And he’s seen plenty. Considering everything, it should shock him this much that the old ladies’ stories about the lights turned out to be true. The longer Emil stares into the fire the more it begins to feel like time has turned into tar, each second dragging by painfully slowly. The lake’s surface is smooth like glass, and not a single leaf is moving in the trees. In fact, Emil can’t hear anything besides his own breathing and hammering heartbeat. The flame doesn’t crinkle and rustle in the comforting way that a fire should, and the air doesn’t smell of smoke. Everything feels so out of place that Emil doesn’t even stop to think about what he’s doing as he reaches out a hand to feel if the odd light is even warm like it should be. The flame jumps out of his reach just before he manages to touch it. Startled by the unexpected movement Emil pulls his hand back and holds it to his chest.

What am I doing? he scolds himself. He’s seen enough trolls and beasts to have nightmares for the rest of his life, and even though he had found the women telling their stories ridiculous, he had listened carefully enough. The very light in front of him could get him killed before he could scream for help.

Emil lets his hand fall to his side and studies the flame a bit more carefully. It doesn’t seem to be moving further away from him anymore. Instead it stays almost still in the air and looks… awaiting, which shouldn’t even be possible for an inanimate object. Had he scared it when he’d moved? The chances of that being the case are slim but the thought still amuses Emil. It’s somewhat comforting, too. Maybe they’re both just as scared of each other, though Emil notices how his body has begun to slowly relax. He doesn’t find the flame hostile-looking, and it hasn’t actually tried to do any of the things the old ladies had warned him of. Maybe he’s simply being blinded by its beauty and the flame will soon lure him into a trap, but if there is one thing in the world Emil knows, it’s fire.

And so, when the flame moves in a way Emil can only interpret as beckoning, he follows it without looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...now i just gotta force myself to write the part in which lalli actually makes an appearance.
> 
> i also took some liberties with the will-o’-the-wisps.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> where did nearly two months just go?? i swear it was the 13th of july, and when i blinked it was suddenly the 22nd of august. time is fake, i swear.

Emil’s steps are light as he walks through the morning dew and down the path that leads to the lake. With time and great effort he has grown better at setting his pace and balancing his steps. He will never move with the cat-like grace that Lalli is blessed with, and his steps will most likely never match Sigrun’s firm and experienced ones. Even when she’s off duty her manner never changes, it always seems like she’s ready to either sprint or spin around and draw her weapon if she must. Emil has wondered what she must have seen in Norway that has made her keep up her guard at all times, but hasn’t dared to ask. After all, Sigrun still seems to know how to properly wind down, and her jokes never sound forced.

Emil will still stumble around and step on fallen branches, snapping them into pieces, but much less than during their mission in Denmark. Now he would most likely make it through a ramshackle building without waking up the whole block.

The wild grass under his feet is worn and patchy, and he can only hope it’s a path that healthy animals, probably deer, use to move between the forest and the lake. Luck has been on their side for days now, though they’ll surely run out of it at some point as they always do, but so far they have managed to avoid running into trouble. Lalli had scouted the area before they set camp, confirming there was nothing suspicious nearby, so even if the path had been made by beasts, they’re long gone now.

The flame before him bounces calmly up and down in the air. Perhaps it’s the way they always move, but the movement seems to give the flame a bit of personality, too. It is almost adorable, in a very unexpected way, and it reminds Emil of his cousins when they get excited and can’t stay in one place for too long. The walk down to the shore isn’t long but Emil has already noticed that if he starts dragging his feet, the flame will stop bouncing forward. If it had a face, Emil’s sure it would look exactly like a puppy begging for food. It’s beginning to be quite understandable why so many travellers are lost for forever, leaving behind only the ashes of their camp fire.

As soon as Emil’s boots hit the wet sand he stops dead in his tracks, his gaze fixed on the unexpected sight. There, a few metres away from him, is Lalli. He has drawn his legs close to his chest and tucked his chin into his knees. Lalli’s expression is unreadable as he stares into the horizon, or perhaps at something Emil isn’t able to see. The contrast between his pale clothing and the dark, sleeping forest behind him is the same of a fallen snowlake on asphalt. The rays of moonlight hitting his hair make it shine pearl-white, and the shadows the light draws on his face are deeper than usual. In Emil’s eyes, he looks nothing short of ethereal, sitting on the empty beach, surrounded by light.

It seems like Lalli didn’t notice them approaching, but Emil knows that’s hardly true. Good senses are essential for a scout’s job, and even though Lalli is the only scout Emil has had the honour of working with, he would be willing to bet money that Lalli’s senses are the best of the best. Emil might nowadays know how to place his steps without attracting a beast or a troll to himself, but all his attempts to stay unnoticed by Lalli will forever be futile. He’s certain the other man is well aware of his presence, but has chosen to remain silent for a reason or another. If Emil had to guess, he’d say Lalli simply doesn’t bother greeting him because it isn’t necessary. After all, Emil has already figured out that Lalli must know he’s nearby.

Emil’s eyes linger on Lalli’s frame for a little longer, but soon he turns to look at the flame still silently fluttering in the air. When he’d stopped, the flame had stopped as well and drawn closer to him. Exactly like a puppy, his mind supplies helpfully, and he hopes the otherworldly creature isn’t able to read his thoughts. Before Emil can remember how he’s supposed to move his muscles again, the fire jumps once and flits over to Lalli. If anyone were to ask, Emil would deny the unflattering yelp that escapes his lips as he sprints after the flame.

Emil’s legs aren’t exactly long, but with just a couple of strides he has crossed the shore and finds himself standing next to Lalli. He’s nowhere near out of breath but he still feels his cheeks heating up as Lalli turns to face him with a slightly raised eyebrow. Unlike Emil, Lalli appears to be completely unfazed by the fire flickering in front of him. Perhaps they’re nothing to be surprised about, but it’s not Emil’s fault he’s inexperienced when it comes to things like this.

Lalli’s expression is questioning, but that curiosity is directed at Emil rather than at the fire. The corners of Emil’s lips turn up in a sheepish smile, and he’s about to open his mouth to start explaining what’s going on in a way that would probably make Lalli roll his eyes, but he’s not quick enough for that. Lalli seems to have found what he was looking for and turns his gaze from Emil back to the flame. Then, he pats the ground twice with his left hand, and Emil complies without asking questions.

His knee brushes softly against Lalli’s leg as he sits down onto the cold sand, but if Lalli minds, he doesn’t let Emil know. With words or without.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did ya expect to see a kiss in this chapter? yeah, so did i.
> 
> i know this is short but i just wanted to update at least something... i'll surely hate this in the morning because i literally wrote all this in one sitting, but i hope you still liked it!! let me know your thoughts!


End file.
